Nadejda Tislenko, 71. When this widow met up with the reporter and photographer she immediately called a neighbour, saying, 'Hurry, quick, come over. There's interesting people here, and they're not missionaries!'

Nadejda Tislenko, 71. When this widow met up with the reporter and photographer she immediately called a neighbour, saying, 'Hurry, quick, come over. There's interesting people here, and they're not missionaries!'

I laughed so hard when I read that. I could all too easily imagine my great-grandmother in the place of the woman in the picture. Three generations hence, I'm the tallest female so far and I'm still only 5'3" on a good day.

Great article. I really enjoyed reading this with my morning coffee. Fascinating points about the psychological fall out left in the wake of Chernobyl's meltdown. No one seems to be talking about this sort of thing.

The part about the woman who was nearly eaten as an infant troubled me. Could you pick one of your own children to die so you could feed the rest of them? And imagine saying to one of the survivors, "When you were a baby we were going to kill and eat you but we decided we would sacrifice your little brother instead."

I visited Chernobyl last month. We had two geiger counters with us. We saw several of these babushkas while we were there. It's not a "wasteland". The village of Chernobyl itself has normal radiation levels and we had lunch there. In fact, the only place radiation levels were elevated at all were within site of the reactor and even those levels weren't dangerous. According to the security engineer that was with us (he was owner of one of the geiger counters and part of our group and not associated with the Chernobyl site) we didn't reach levels above what is allowed for an x-ray tech all day. It's not really dangerous there anymore. By the way, our guide for the day also lived in Chernobyl but he was one of the official residents allowed by the government rather than a squatter like those in the article.

This is the pic I took of the reactor. Tourism is a growing industry at Chernobyl.

the cocoon around the reactor supposedly had a 25 year useful life. happy 25th last year. and there it sits. put a nice tall cement wall around Chernobyl and let prison lifers live out their last there. it won't take long and it's less cruel than tiny concrete & steel bar cages.

SundaesChild:The part about the woman who was nearly eaten as an infant troubled me. Could you pick one of your own children to die so you could feed the rest of them? And imagine saying to one of the survivors, "When you were a baby we were going to kill and eat you but we decided we would sacrifice your little brother instead."

Of all the vicious, cruel, genocidal episodes in history, Holodomor stands out as being exceptionally horrifying - to me, at least.

publikenemy:No, I mean strong. I guess it was wrong to tout the benefits of being strong and self reliant? Jeez everyone is always looking for a fight around here

Living like ignorant animals in dirty shacks and killing transient wildlife is hardly an admirable lifestyle. But I expect there will be those who turn it into an admirable fetish.It's called living in abject poverty and just surviving, not being strong and resilient.

oeneus:I visited Chernobyl last month. We had two geiger counters with us. We saw several of these babushkas while we were there. It's not a "wasteland". The village of Chernobyl itself has normal radiation levels and we had lunch there. In fact, the only place radiation levels were elevated at all were within site of the reactor and even those levels weren't dangerous. According to the security engineer that was with us (he was owner of one of the geiger counters and part of our group and not associated with the Chernobyl site) we didn't reach levels above what is allowed for an x-ray tech all day. It's not really dangerous there anymore. By the way, our guide for the day also lived in Chernobyl but he was one of the official residents allowed by the government rather than a squatter like those in the article.

This is the pic I took of the reactor. Tourism is a growing industry at Chernobyl.

publikenemy:bingo the psych-o: publikenemy: These are some strong women. Talk about boot-strappy..we can sure use some of these people with self-reliant attitudes like this in America.

If by "self-reliant" you mean "casual disregard for radiation and no common sense" then they may be just what the GOP is looking for. America however, not so much.

No, I mean strong. I guess it was wrong to tout the benefits of being strong and self reliant? Jeez everyone is always looking for a fight around here

No, you said "boot-strappy," the teabagger dogwhistle. We know what you meant, and it's silly.

The best part of your quote is that we have quite a few folks like this here in America already. You just don't like them, what with their need for social supports, their obstructionist ways when it comes time for the rich to take their land, and the appalling frequency with which they keel over due to pollution, sickness, and other environmental issues.

The Appalachians are full of folks like this, trying to survive amidst decades of air, soil, and water pollution. Go chat them up, and tell them how "boot-strappy" you think they are, and see how amusing you find that dogwhistle then.

FormlessOne:publikenemy: bingo the psych-o: publikenemy: These are some strong women. Talk about boot-strappy..we can sure use some of these people with self-reliant attitudes like this in America.

If by "self-reliant" you mean "casual disregard for radiation and no common sense" then they may be just what the GOP is looking for. America however, not so much.

No, I mean strong. I guess it was wrong to tout the benefits of being strong and self reliant? Jeez everyone is always looking for a fight around here

No, you said "boot-strappy," the teabagger dogwhistle. We know what you meant, and it's silly.

The best part of your quote is that we have quite a few folks like this here in America already. You just don't like them, what with their need for social supports, their obstructionist ways when it comes time for the rich to take their land, and the appalling frequency with which they keel over due to pollution, sickness, and other environmental issues.

The Appalachians are full of folks like this, trying to survive amidst decades of air, soil, and water pollution. Go chat them up, and tell them how "boot-strappy" you think they are, and see how amusing you find that dogwhistle then.

Ya, shove the strawman up your ass. It is NOT what I mean, but as always on Fark, people want to fight. If WW2 were to happen in our lifetime, do you really believe that young men aged 18 and up would put away their video war games and sign up in droves to fight in a real war? To die for their country? You know dam well it wouldnt happen.

We are weak..we are ripe for the picking. We are lazy and entitled. You will never change my mind on that fact...so now go call me names, since actual dialogue always escapes people on Fark when they feel an actual truth seeping into their closed mindset. Names and insults to someone you don't even know. Someone who I guarantee is more charitable than you'll ever be. Someone who actually HELPS homeless people, rather than telling others how they should...and someone who pays thousands and thousands in taxes every year, yet I still find it rewarding to help out at the soup kitchen.

But go ahead and be miserable and pick fights if that's what gets you off

publikenemy:FormlessOne: publikenemy: bingo the psych-o: publikenemy: These are some strong women. Talk about boot-strappy..we can sure use some of these people with self-reliant attitudes like this in America.

If by "self-reliant" you mean "casual disregard for radiation and no common sense" then they may be just what the GOP is looking for. America however, not so much.

No, I mean strong. I guess it was wrong to tout the benefits of being strong and self reliant? Jeez everyone is always looking for a fight around here

No, you said "boot-strappy," the teabagger dogwhistle. We know what you meant, and it's silly.

The best part of your quote is that we have quite a few folks like this here in America already. You just don't like them, what with their need for social supports, their obstructionist ways when it comes time for the rich to take their land, and the appalling frequency with which they keel over due to pollution, sickness, and other environmental issues.

The Appalachians are full of folks like this, trying to survive amidst decades of air, soil, and water pollution. Go chat them up, and tell them how "boot-strappy" you think they are, and see how amusing you find that dogwhistle then.

Ya, shove the strawman up your ass. It is NOT what I mean, but as always on Fark, people want to fight. If WW2 were to happen in our lifetime, do you really believe that young men aged 18 and up would put away their video war games and sign up in droves to fight in a real war? To die for their country? You know dam well it wouldnt happen.

We are weak..we are ripe for the picking. We are lazy and entitled. You will never change my mind on that fact...so now go call me names, since actual dialogue always escapes people on Fark when they feel an actual truth seeping into their closed mindset. Names and insults to someone you don't even know. Someone who I guarantee is more charitable than you'll ever be. Someone who actually HELPS homeless people, rather than telling others how they ...